The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 - 3


ACTIVISM
From Page1
perfect opportunity for me to get
involved. I'm just excited to be
a part of a movement that helps
(Obama) get re-elected in Novem-
ber."
LSA freshman Ari Cicurel said
he decided to attend the session to
increase his political involvement
after being inspired by the Young
Americans for Obama's Greater
Together Student Summit Tour,
which stopped at the University
earlier this month and featured
an address by actor Kal Penn and
Stephanie Cutter, Obama's deputy
campaign manager. Cicurel will
vote in his first presidential elec-
tion this year, and said now is the
opportune time to make his mark.
"I'm very interested in politics
and getting involved in the cam-
paign," Cicurel said. "This is my
first election that I am able to vote
in, so I am really excited about
being able to vote but also being
involved and being able to express
my opinion and what I'm voting
for."
LSA sophomore Stefanie
Rubinstein, member of the Uni-
versity Career Center's Public Ser-
vice Intern Program, said the OFA
field organizer training sounded
appealing because of her growing
interest in campaigning during a
high stakes presidential election.
"Over the past year, I've real-
ized the importance of this cam-
paign and making sure that the
president gets reelected," Rubin-
stein said. "It's something that
I am really passionate about, so
when I saw this opportunity, I fig-

ured it would be a fun way to get
involved ... if it leads to something
more, that would be great."
LSA junior Matt Jones, a board
member in the University's chap-
ter of College Republicans and
leader of Students for Romney on
campus, said the Republicans do
not have the same opportunity to
participate in activities like OFA
has because they still don't know
who their party's nominee willbe.
"Volunteerism is just as impor-
tant to us as for Obama's cam-
paign, but ... (Republicans) are
still in the primary phase, so the
further in we get, the more extra
structure we are going to have
(and) more organizing efforts will
start emerging," Jones said.
As a member of the Romney
campaign in Michigan, Jones
plans to distribute posters and
placards on campus and recruit
volunteers to make phone calls to
foster support for the Republican
Party. In the following months,
Jones said he hopes to have
Republican candidates come to
Ann Arbor to strengthen support
among students.
LSA freshman Sarah Myint,
also a member of College Repub-
licans, agreed that the primary
process makes it difficult to cam-
paign for a specific candidate.
"We're just campaigning on
the Republican ideal and what
any Republican candidate really
would offer versus a Democrat
candidate," Myint said. "What we
really want (students to know) is
that it is not about Mitt Romney
or Barack Obama, it's about them
and their country."
LSA freshman Elena Brennan,
the newly elected external vice

chair for College Republicans,
said the group is preparing for
the election by reaching out to a
new set of students.
"We are hoping to get people
that normally (are) not even
political to come to (an) event,"
she said, "We are hoping to tap
into that market here on campus
because I think that's huge, and
I think the majority of students
here on campus are apathetic."
Brennan added that College
Republicans will implement new
campaigning techniques in the
fall to bring a unique perspective
to Republican values, including
working with the College Demo-
crats.
"With our new leadership,
I think that we're looking to
change the dynamic of our group
to make it more open," she said.
"We'd like to collaborate more
with the College Democrats and
with other student organizations
so that we are not just polarized
as this minority conservative
group who no one knows about.
We are planning on doing a vari-
ety of fundraising events so that
they bolster our presence here on
campus."
She further acknowledged the
importance of the next presiden-
tial election and how it will deter-
mine the fate of the nation.
"It's amazing that it is happen-
ing at this moment when we are
the youth, and we can really have
a say in what goes on," Brennan
said. "The Democrats and Repub-
licans are so polarized right now
that I think this election is defi-
nitely the biggest of our lifetime,
and I think it will decide which
way this country goes."

RESEARCH
From Page 1
Forrest claims that though
many factors have contributed
to the University's expand-
ing research network, includ-
ing the breadth of topics being
researched, the primary factor is
the dedicated and innovative fac-
ulty members.
Forrest added that faculty
members and students benefit
significantly from the Universi-
ty's expenditures on a wide vari-
ety of research programs.
"The students get access to
solving problems that are impor-
tant in the real world through
working with the industry and
on teams, and this provides an
incredible educational experi-
ence," Forrest said.
Forrest said various initia-
tives have been implemented
over the past few years to bring
the best programs from the
industrial sector to the Uni-
versity in an effort to benefit
the state's struggling economy.
Among these initiatives is the
business engagement policy,
which Forrest said gives indus-
trial partners additional license
negotiating rights.
Forrest added that he believes
the positive trend will continue
over the next few years and the
research network will continue
to grow.
Engineering Dean David
Munson said the large size and
high quality of the University's
research programs are due to its
ambitious faculty.
"Michigan is both an outstand-

ing teaching university and a
powerhouse research university,"
Munson said. "Much of U-M's
reputation is realized from its
research mission, which culmi-
nates in discovery and creation of
new knowledge."
Munson claimed that the rea-
son Johns Hopkins outranked the
University is because it includes
money from their Applied Phys-
ics Lab, an affiliated defense lab
that is separate from the univer-
sity itself and conducts research
related to homeland security and
space.
Engineering Prof. Jeffrey Fes-
sler said while he believes finan-
cial resources facilitate research
programs that maylead to discov-
ery, they should not be the only
factor when determining quality.
"How much money we get and
spend on research is less impor-
tant than how much knowledge
we create and impact we have on
society," Fessler said.
Kara Gavin, University of
Michigan Health System spokes-
woman, said the University Medi-
cal School currently receives the
sixth-highest funding allocation
from the National Institutes of
Health and ranks second among
medical schools affiliated with
public universities.
Gavin added that the school
has brought hundreds of millions
of dollars into the state in the last
year through funding received
for research from the National
Institutes of Health. Recent data
shows that the total economic
impact on the state is nearly $L2
billion, accordingto Gavin.
LSA freshman Claire Erba par-
ticipated in a biology-related fel-

lowship through the University's
Undergraduate Research Oppor-
tunity Program. Erba said the
experience was an important part
of her first-year experience.
"It was really rewarding to be
able to develop a meaningful con-
nection with an experienced fac-
ulty member as early as freshmen
year," Erba said.
Erba added that the high
ranking does not surprise her
because she believes the Uni-
versity values educating its stu-
dents and conducting research.
These two functions often go
hand-in-hand to allow students
to learn in a more experimental
way, Erba said.
LSA junior Dora Sobze has
participated in approximately
10 University-affiliated research
projects and was a research
assistant in a psychology lab.
"I feel really good about it
because a lot of my professors
will use their own research
findings in their lesson plans.
As a student you know you are
getting cutting-edge educa-
tion," Sobze said. "As a research
participant, I've learned more
about how research is conduct-
ed when deception is involved."
Kinesology sophomore Dani-
elle Sanna said it would be
helpful to inform undergradu-
ates about future research
opportunities available to them
instead of focusing only on
what current graduate students
are doing.
"I feel like the mission of the
University is producing stu-
dents that are going to go out
to the community and do some-
thing positive," Sanna said.

i

GSRA
From Page 1
a brief is an uncommon action for
the University, though she noted
it is within the bounds of reason-
ability.
"I would not question that it's
rare, but it is certainly within the
purview of the board if the board
wishes to do so," Coleman said.
Regent Andrea Fischer New-
man (R-Ann Arbor) voted against

MARIJUANA
From Page 1
lution directing the Planning
Commission was distinct from
the delayed proposed amendment
to the city code.
"The difference here is the
ordinance is already in place by
law," Taylor said. "Any change
to this or the zoning ordinance
should go to the Planning Com-
mission first and come back with
a recommendation."
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hief-
tje said council was wasting too
much time on the medical mari-
juana issue because deliberation
in the state Legislature could
change state law in the near
future.
"We've spent way too much
time on this issue," Hieftje said.
"I lay that at the feet of the Leg-
islatures in Lansing because they
have totally dropped the ball and
have failed to provide consis-
tent guidelines for local govern-
ments."
The discussion of the legality
of medical marijuana facilities in
Ann Arbor returns to City Coun-
cil after two Ann Arbor-based
medical marijuana facilities were
raided by regional authorities last
August.
Drew Driver, a former medi-
cal marijuana dispensary owner
from Gaylord, Mich., spoke during
ELECTION
From Page 1
New members of the CSG
assembly should have been seat-
ed at today's meeting, and CSG
official expressed hope that the
certification and seating of the
presidential elections could be
expedited.
CSJ justice Carlos Torres, also
a Law student, noted that CSJ will
do whatever it takes to verify the
elections in an effort to establish
the next ruling student govern-
ment body. Instead the court put a
temporary restraining order, last-
ing 48 hours, on the certification
of the presidential election to give
both CSG and the UEC adequate
time to operate.
"If ... we've been doing this for
three weeks and we're not going
to be able to seat people before the
end of finals, we're going to lock

the brief and said she does not
believe it is the University's place
to take a position on the issue. She
added that both parties have tradi-
tionally ignored the use of proper
protocol when voting on imme-
diate effect acts.
"We shouldn't be involved in
legislative procedural issues,"
Fischer Newman said. "I don't
think it does us any good to take
sides in a legislative proceeding
that's been used by both Demo-
crats and Republicans over the
the public commentary section of
the City Council meeting and said
Ann Arbor's decision will set an
example for the rest of the state.
"A lot of other municipalities
look to Ann Arbor ... If you can get
these zoning ordinances passed
and put through, there's going to
be a lot of other local cities that
look to you guys as leaders on this
issue," Driver said.
In an interview during the
meeting's recess, Driver said he
closed his dispensary because he
feared facing criminal action.
Instead, he said he now travels
around the state advocating for
the protection of medical mari-
juana dispensaries.
"I have since voluntarily shut
my doors because I work in Lan-
sing. I come to these things and
I speak. Basically, I'm scared,"
Driver said. "Basically it was
(Michigan Attorney General) Bill
Schuette's personal threats. He
was the lead opposition to the law
before he was attorney general."
Driver said the legality of dis-
pensaries in Michigan has been
unclear from the start, citing his
own personal experience in Gay-
lord as an example.
"They're operating with the
blessing of the city and the coun-
ty but without actual license.
When we all opened, we looked
at the law, we picked apart dif-
ferent parts of the law as to why
it's allowed," Driver said. "It

years."
Newman added that topic of
the meeting should have been
made public prior to the start of
the meeting.
"I also find the circumstance
of this meeting troubling," Fish-
er said. "I understand that the
notice was given, I think that the
topics should be included in the
notices. There is nothing to be
gained from not having public
comment on the issue."
Regent Denise Illitch (D-
says a medical marijuana patient
is allowed to purchase medical
marijuana without fear of arrest,
it doesn't say that he has to do it
from this guy at this time."
Driver said the public hasn't
had a problem with dispensaries
in Ann Arbor or anywhere in the
state.
"There've been absolutely no
complaints. Same in my town,
there've been no complaints,"
Driver said. "That's odd. The
amount of complaints thathappen
from bars and liquor stores are
huge, and there just haven't been
any (with medical marijuana dis-
pensaries)."
Driver said the vague nature of
the Michigan Medical Marihuana
Act has allowed Schuette to crack
down on dispensaries.
"If you look atwhatwe actually
voted on as voters in 2008, it was
half a paragraph," Driver said.
Driver said the inaction hurts
medical marijuana's sickest users
the most.
"We made sure to keep our
phone going. We stayed open for
an additional three months after
we closed. We stayed open to help
people find caregivers. But even
that's about impossible," Driver
said. "The thing is, it really affects
the people that really truly need
it."
-Jenny Hinkle contributed
to this report

3ingham Farms) said supporting
:he amicus brief would not con-
lict with the past precedent.
"I think it is very important
md in accordance to the values
sf this University," Illitch said.
'It's very scary to me when leg-
slation is passed in its imme-
liacy."
Rackham student Layla
Houshmand, a member of Stu-
lents Against GSRA Unioniza-
:ion a group on campus working
:o prevent the unionization, said

the University should not take an
active role in such discussions..
"I think it's inappropriate
for the University to be direct-
ing resources to commenting on
procedural matters within the
House," Houshmand said. "I
don't think it will have any real
impact legally."
Rackham student Jeremy
Moore, a Graduate Employees
Organization spokesman, wrote
in an e-mail statement that the
state Legislature used the imme-

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diate effect to disenfranchise
GSRAs who want to unionize.
"When politicians in Lansing
took away my right to join with
my coworkers and form a union,
they trampled on my democratic
rights," Moore wrote. "The way
that House Republicans rammed
the legislation through without
regard for the state constitution
also tramples on the rights of all
Michiganders. I am glad that the
courts are taking a serious look
at this issue."


the goddamn door and we're all
going to sit in a room and we're
going to figure this out," Torres
said. "We're not going to leave
campus this year without a presi-
dent."
Gersovitz said the UEC hopes
to certify the presidential elec-
tions, but the CSG constitution
and compiled code say the presi-
dent must be seated after 10 days.
This could create logistical prob-
lems if this hearing is not resolved
within this time frame.
"The temporary restraining
order allows us to get the time to
write our opinion and the UEC
to hear the opinion again on
remand," Gersovitz said. "We're
worried that if we don't grant this
order that tomorrow the UEC
will certify the election deadlines
and that within 10 days, Parikh
has to be seated."
LSA senior Brendan Campbell,
the CSG vice president, said pre-

maturely certifying the president
would reflect poorly on CSG if the
impending UEC hearing disqual-
ifies the president-elect.
"If a candidate is removed
from the ballot, but has already
been certified as the winner, it
will create serious problems for
the true winner of the election,"
Campbell said.
Election director Peter Borock
said there is a chance that in light
of this remand, the UEC will not
return to hold this hearing.
"This is going to be going for
a while," Borock said. "I don't
want to speak hyperbolically, but
there's a chance that the UEC just
resigns en masse, because they
can't do this anymore."
Borock added: "To be honest,
I don't know if they can do this
anymore. It's taken six weeks out
of everyone's life... (CSG) might
have to find new members (of the
UEC)."

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